The claim specifies the source as 'according to Reuters,' but the evidence provided for this claim only contains general FDA information and does not contain the specific Reuters report mentioned in the claim. However, the general theme of FDA clearance for Otarmeni for genetic hearing loss is present in the search results, but the specific attribution to Reuters cannot be verified from the provided evidence.

The claim attributes the information to NPR. The evidence provided for this claim contains general information about Regeneron's plans but does not include the specific NPR report mentioned in the claim. One web search result does mention Regeneron providing the drug at no cost to US patients under an agreement with the US Government, which supports the 'no cost' aspect, but the source attribution to NPR cannot be confirmed.

The evidence confirms the FDA's decision regarding the therapy, but none of the provided search results explicitly state that the decision *followed* positive clinical results in patients with a specific defective gene. The evidence is general about the approval.

The description of the procedure (infusing viruses, incision behind the ear, opening a hole in the skull) is highly specific and appears in the context of the gene therapy discussion, but this exact procedural description is not explicitly corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided evidence set.

One web search result directly quotes the statistics: 'Most patients began to hear within weeks, with 80% achieving at least significant hearing restoration and 42% reaching normal hearing, including the ability to hear whispers.' This specific data point is only found in one search result.